Deja Q (episode)
As the Enterprise tries to restabilize a moon's orbit before it impacts a heavily populated planet, Q once again appears, only this time he's been stripped of his powers and is seeking asylum on the Enterprise. Summary The ''Enterprise'' has been called to Bre'el IV to restore the orbit of its moon, which will soon collide with the planet. Q falls naked from the ceiling to reveal he has been stripped of his powers and was given the choice to be turned into anything he so desires. He chooses to be human and sent to the Enterprise because "out of all the universe, Jean-Luc is the closest thing to a friend". When a desperate Q practically begs to know what he can do to convince the crew that he has lost his powers, Worf succinctly replies, "Die." While not believing Q entirely, Picard has Worf throw him into the brig for safe keeping, though it is later decided Q's services could still prove useful, despite his lack of omnipotence. Picard assigns Data to keep him out of trouble. Data takes Q to Ten Forward, where Data suggests something chocolate as it is Deanna's favorite food when she's in a bad mood. Q orders ten sundaes, since he's "in a REALLY bad mood". Guinan enters, which gives Q a sense of uneasiness as this is not a moment he was looking forward to. Data explains Q's Humanity to Guinan, who stabs him with a fork to test if he's really human. The encounter understandably causes Q to lose his appetite, so he is unable to enjoy his huge chocolate treat. While Q sulks miserably in Ten Forward, the Calamarain, a species Q tormented in the past, tries to kill Q to return the favor. The crew is able to repel them and Q is forced to admit that "for all his protestations of friendship, his real reason for being on the Enterprise is protection" from all the enemies he made as an omnipotent being. Nonetheless, his knowledge is still useful in the task of moving the moon. Q's original suggestion of changing the gravitational constant of the universe is rejected but inspires La Forge to surround the moon in a subspace field. Its mass thus lowered, the moon can be moved. During their attempt to do that, the Calamarain attack again, nearly killing Q. Data intervenes at great peril to himself. Q goes to thank him in sickbay, and tells Data "You make a better human than I". Q realizes the ship and planet will never be safe so long as he is on board the Enterprise, so he takes a shuttlecraft and leaves the ship to distract the Calamarain. All attempts to rescue Q fail as Q2, who had Q stripped of his powers and was watching him to see how he reacted, disabled the tractor beam, transporters, shields, etc. He pops in to see Q and says that his display of selflessness has convinced him to give Q's powers back so long as he behaves himself. Q is about to seek revenge on the Calamarain, but Q2 pops in again, so Q puts the Calamarain back, blowing them out like a candle. He appears on the bridge with a mariachi band, cigars, and a pair of scantily-clad women "to celebrate", and also returns Bre'el IV's moon to its correct orbit. The crew rejects his thanks and Q leaves, vowing to return the favor sometime soon. Upon his departure Q leaves Data a little 'gift' - not using his powers to make him human as Data suspects, but allowing him to experience laughter for a few surreal moments. But as Picard says there may be a "residue of humanity" in Q, he appears as a cigar in Picard's hand and tells him not to bet on it. Memorable Quotes "Perhaps there is a... residue of humanity in Q after all." "Don't bet on it, Picard." : - Jean-Luc Picard and Q''' "Return that moon to its orbit." "I have no powers! Q, the ordinary!" "Q, the liar! Q, the misanthrope!" "Q, the miserable, Q, the desperate! What must I do to convince you people?" "Die." "Oh, very clever, Worf. Eat any good books lately?" : - '''Picard, Q''', and '''Worf "What are you looking at?" "I was considering the possibility that you are telling the truth, that you really are human." "It's the ghastly truth, Mr. Data. I can now stub my toe with the best of them." "An irony. It means that you have achieved in disgrace what I have always aspired to be." : - Q''' and '''Data "My God. This is getting on my nerves, now that I have them" : - Q', running into the forcefield of his detention cell "''Perspicacity incarnate. Please don't feel compelled to tell me the story of "the boy who cried Worf." "Computer, activate forcefield." : - '''Q and Worf "Sure, the robot who teaches the course in humanities." "I am an android, not a robot." "I beg your pardon." : - Q''' and '''Data "Easy: Change the gravitational constant of the universe." "What?" "Change the gravitational constant of the universe, thereby altering the mass of the asteroid." "Redefine gravity. And how the hell am I supposed to do that?" "You just DO it. GAHH! Where's that doctor, anyway?" "Geordi is attempting to say that changing the gravitational constant of the universe is beyond our capabilities." "Well, in that case... never mind." : - Q''', '''Geordi, and Data "Your bedside manner is admirable, Doctor. I'm sure your patients recover quickly... just to get away from you" : - Q', to Dr. Beverly Crusher "''We know you're behind this, Q!" "These aren't my colors! And what are you blabbering about, Riker?!" : - '''Riker and Q''' "Romulan!" : - '''Q, to Worf "Help me! Somebody help me!" "How the mighty have fallen." : - Q''' and '''Guinan, after the Calamarain attack Q "I'm not good in groups. It's hard to work in groups when you're omnipotent." : - Q''' "Not bad, Q. Not great, but not bad." "Q!" "Ah! Sacrificing yourself for these humans? Do I detect a little selfless act?" "You flatter me. I was only trying to put an end to a miserable existence." "Ugh, what a dreadful color!" "Yeah..." : - '''Q2 and Q''' "Well, I suppose that is the end of Q." "Au contraire, mon capitan! He's back!" : - '''Picard and Q''' "I'm immortal again! I'm omnipotent again!" "Swell." : - '''Q and Riker, after Q appears on the bridge, and blares a trumpet with a mariachi band "I don't need your fantasy women!" "Oh, you're so stolid. You weren't like that before the beard!" : - Q''' and '''Riker, after Q appears on the bridge and surrounds Riker with scantily-clad females "Q!" "But I feel like celebrating!" "I DON'T!" : - Picard and Q', in response to lit cigars and the marachi band "''Data, I intend to do something very, very special." "If your intent is to make me human..." "No, no, no. I would never curse you by making you human. Think of it as a going-away present..." : - '''Q and Data "Data, why are you laughing?" "I do not know. But it was a wonderful... feeling." : - Geordi and Data Background Information *A Bre'el IV scientist costume was auctioned off in the It's A Wrap! sale and auction. The tag mistakenly states that it was for use of portraying a "Calamarian Scientist". This is an error as the Calamarains were shown as non-corporeal. Awards *This episode was nominated for Emmy Awards for Outstanding Editing for a Series - Single Camera Production (Robert Lederman) and for Outstanding Achievement in Special Visual Effects. Video and DVD releases *Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 31, . *UK re-release (three-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment): Volume 3.5, . *As part of the TNG Season 3 DVD collection. Links and References Guest Stars *John de Lancie as Q *Corbin Bernsen as Q2 *Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan *Richard Cansino as Garin *Betty Muramoto as Bre'el IV scientist Uncredited Co-Stars *Guy Vardaman as Darien Wallace *Michael Braveheart as Martinez *Benny Gong as Bre'el IV scientist References ant; Belzoidian flea; berthold rays; black hole; Bre'el IV; Bre'el IV moon; Bre'el IV native; Calamarain; chocolate; chocolate sundae; Deltived asteroid belt; Delta-vee; Earthquake; gravitational constant; Markoffian sea lizard; Nigala IV; plasma; Q Continuum; Sakharov; silicon; suicide; tachyons; tractor beam; tricycle; tsunami; type-7 shuttlecraft; warp field |next= }} Category:TNG episodes de:Noch einmal Q es:Deja Q nl:Deja Q